The Islamic State continues to wipe-out ancient buildings and relics, as it was recently discovered that the terrorist group has destroyed the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq. The destruction of St. Elijah's Monastery of Mosul was only discovered through satellite images since archaeologists and journalists cannot access areas dominated by the Islamic States, according to BBC News.
Iraq's oldest Christian monastery destroyed by #IslamicState #ISIS. https://t.co/3Adp7FVPEF pic.twitter.com/MlEy4jbcVm
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) January 20, 2016
U.S. Col. Steve Warren confirmed the destruction. "This enemy has proven time and again its ruthlessness, its barbarity, its willingness to destroy everything from human life to civilian supporting infrastructure, to, you know, cultural artifacts, with absolute disregard for history, for humanity, or for anything that approaches decency," Col. Warren said, according to Fox News.
St. Elijah's Monastery of Mosul, which was built 1,400 years ago, has been a place for religious worship not only since 590 A.D. but recently for U.S. troops deployed in Iraq, the Associated Press reported.
Built by Assyrian monks in the sixth century, St. Elijah's Monastery of Mosul, also known as the Dair Mar Elia Monastery, was rediscovered in 2008 and had undergone a reconstruction led by the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, according to the Smithsonian. During the previous attacks in Iraq, it suffered impacts of tank turrets, missiles, and was even used as a garrison.
More than 100 significant historical sites have been obliterated by ISIS, with some of the recent casualties from these barbaric acts taking place in the cities of Palmyra and Nimrud, ABC News reported.
